Obesity's Connection to Gastrointestinal Diseases

You'd have to be living in a bubble these days to not be aware of the fact that 2/3 of the American adult population are overweight/obese and at least 25% of kids in the US are also carrying way too many extra pounds. Well there has also been a significant upswing in gastrointestinal disease - directly related to obesity. The 2 specific conditions that are of concern to health officials are colorectal cancer and GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease.

A number of different studies have recently confirmed a direct correlation between obesity and GERD. Researchers have also noted that calorie restriction or gastric bypass surgery seem to not only help with weight loss, but also with reducing GERD when it is present with obesity. When it comes to a high BMI (Body Mass Index) there is also a correlation to increased risk of colorectal adenomas. When researchers looked at a populace that had the colorectal adenomas, they found that the incidence of these cancers increased with an increasing BMI. Another study that monitored patients who had adenomas removed and then had weight changes (reduction) showed that follow up colonoscopies found less recurrence in the presence of weight reduction. So even after you were diagnosed and treated, a loss of weight could mean less of a chance that you would have disease again.

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I find that almost 20% of my monthly blogs and TV segments cover the obesity issue and why it is so important to lose some weight in order to improve your health profile. This research gives us 3 more reasons to get motivated to lose weight or to keep weight at bay.